Hyundai Inster review: Rugged runaround turns on the charm

March 4, 2026 Matt Allan

We test the Hyundai Inster to see how Korea’s smallest and cheapest EV compares to the Renault 5 and Citroen E-C3.

The Hyundai Inster feels like a car the Korean brand has been waiting for quite a while to make.

It has already enjoyed success with its larger EV models, which offer a zero-emissions alternative to many of its key ICE models. But it hasn’t had anything in the same space as its popular i10 and i20 hatchbacks. Until now…

The Inster sits somewhere between those two in physical size but is very much its own thing. Despite its chunky crossover looks, it’s a distinctly city-focused small EV in the same vein as the Citroen E-C3, Renault 5 and BYD Dolphin Surf.

Starting at around £20,000 after discounts, it’s also priced to directly compete with those cars and help broaden the pool of accessible, affordable EVs.

Hyundai Inster design, interior and technology

Let’s be honest. The Inster’s bold design is going to split opinion. And that’s a good thing. Too many car makers play it safe with cookie-cutter designs that won’t offend but will vanish in a car park.

Love it or hate it, that won’t happen with the Inster. And personally, I absolutely love it.

There’s something almost toy-like about its exaggerated looks. From the massive circular running lights and pronounced ‘skid plates’ to the deliberately square wheel arches and thick pillars. All of which sit in contrast to its tiny 3.8m length. While it’s very much its own car, there are also nods to the rest of the Ioniq line in the full-width pixel light bar at the rear and the pixel design headlights.

If things are a bit toy-like outside, they go full Fisher Price inside the Inster. There are big fake screw heads in the doors, a faux-bench seat in the front, a chunky big-buttoned air condition control panel and a riot of colours and materials including houndstooth upholstery made from recycled plastic.

There are probably too many colours and materials, in truth. Along with the beige/black upholstery there are cream door cards with yellow inserts, a brown dashboard and a mixture of silver and black switchgear. It’s a bit much really but, as with the exterior, in a landscape where so many car interiors feel interchangeable, it’s refreshing to have something as off-the-wall as this.

Opting for the basic 01 spec tones things down with a much more subdued dark interior. Not only does this feel less welcoming but the materials look cheaper, even if they aren’t.

Despite its unconventional looks, Hyundai has kept the Inster’s operation pleasingly conventional. There are two digital screens for instruments and infotainment, but there are also proper, clearly marked and logically positioned buttons for every key function, making it beautifully simple to use.

While every Hyundai Inster comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen it’s not the brand’s finest effort. The graphics are clear but there are a lot of submenus and it feels like it’s running on five-year-old hardware. It’s just as well Android and Apple mirroring are present, although there’s no wireless option for either.

The Inster is 20cm shorter than the i20 but manages to offer exactly the same wheelbase. That means surprisingly good rear space. At 6’ 5” I can just fit in the back seats with the driver’s seat fully back, and four average sized adults will fit just fine – impressive for such a small car.

The only problem is that the rear space comes at the expense of those in the front. The front seat doesn’t slide very far back and anyone over 6ft will find the driving position seriously cramped. It’s also narrow, so there’s an old-school Defender feel to the way a larger driver’s shoulder is jammed against the B pillar. My long-term Renault 5 gives much more driver space but much less rear space.

The R5 also offers a bigger boot at 325 litres to the Inster’s small 280 litres. In the 02 and Cross, the rear seats slide to give up to 351 litres but at the expense of that rear legroom.

Hyundai Inster battery, motor and performance

The Hyundai Inster comes with a simple choice of two powertrains – standard range and long range.

The entry-level standard range uses a 96bhp front-mounted motor and 42kWh battery while the long range gets a power boost to 113bhp and a 49kWh battery.

Both variants produce 108lb ft of torque and, in normal operation, there doesn’t feel like a lot of difference in performance. It’s only in more demanding uses that the long range’s extra few horses prove their worth.

Both take a long time to hit 62mph – 11.7 seconds and 10.6 seconds for the standard and long range respectively – but feel responsive at low speeds. Around town there’s enough immediate reaction from the throttle to match the traffic and the positive steering, short body and narrow footprint feel ideal for urban use.

Outside the city, the Inster feels a little sluggish and doesn’t have the directness or liveliness of the Renault 5. It does still feel connected and composed, and rides really well, especially for a small car. It’s also remarkably refined for a car of this class.

In standard range, the Inster offers a range of 188 miles while the long range car boosts that to 224 miles. Official efficiency is 4.35m/kWh and 4.17m/kWh respectively, so I was quite pleased to see more than 4.5m/kWh during my time with it.

Unlike some rivals, every version of the Inster gets adaptive braking regeneration ranging from one-pedal driving to fully deactivated. Like far more expensive Hyundai’s this is managed via simple steering column paddles.

Conversely, charging is slow compared with the Inster’s French rivals. The larger battery tops out at 85kW while the smaller manages just 73kW. Both Citroen and Renault operate at up to 100kW.

Hyundai Inster price and specification

The Hyundai Inster range officially starts at £23,755 for the 01 trim with the standard range battery, or £25,315 for the long range version.

Above that the 02 brings the long-range battery as standard from £27,005 while the rugged-looking Cross is another £2,000.

Things are confused at the moment by Hyundai’s in-house electric car grant, designed to mirror the official government one. That grant cuts the Inster’s entry price to £20,005 and the tested 02 model’s price to £23,255 before options.

The 02 feels like the sweet spot of the range. It upgrades the 01’s 15-inch steel wheels to 17-inch alloys, adds full LED lighting, plus heated seats and steering wheel. It also gets front parking sensors, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting and that sliding rear bench.

Every version from 01 up comes with a heat pump, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and a pretty comprehensive suite of driver aids.

Verdict

The Hyundai Inster is a very easy car to like.

That starts with its cheeky and charming design but cuts much deeper than just looks.

It’s smartly packaged, with impressive passenger space for its size. It’s also incredibly user friendly and, in mid-tier 02 spec, comes with all the equipment you’ll need day to day.

On top of that, it’s pleasant to drive – ideally suited to urban use but still confident and composed at higher speeds. Its range and charging may not be class-leading but they’ll fit many use cases.

With prices as they are now, it’s a serious contender in the small EV segment.